They Started It
by Thorne Rosewood
Summary: A collie that belongs to a famous dog trainer mates with a labrador that belongs to a formerly married, former model. They aren't the only ones with a thing. Rated M for mentions of sexual assault/abuse and language. Read at your own risk. Feel free to PM me with questions or write them in the reviews. Will be updated every Friday. PM me before posting translated versions.
1. Prologue

_"Plagg! Get back here!"_

Adrien Agreste looked up from his book to see a girl with jet black hair chasing a black Labrador. Both of them were coming towards him and his collie, Tikki.

Tikki, who was laying down, sat up and watched.

"You wanna go help her get her dog under control?" Adrien asked. Tikki's tail wagged. "Go ahead."

Tikki ran after Plagg, barking. The Labrador kept coming for Adrien, but halted to a stop.

"Good girl," Adrien praised, giving Tikki a treat.

The girl who was chasing after the Labrador finally caught up to them.

"Hello there," Adrien said with a soft smile. The girl was panting, so she just waved.

"T-thank you for getting him." She sputtered.

"Just thank Tikki. She rounded him up." Adrien said.

The girl smiled at the dog. "Can I pet her?"

"Yeah, go ahead. She's trained."

She bent down and let Tikki sniff her hand. Tikki's eyes lit up and she barked. The girl giggled and pet her.

"Oh, I wish that Plagg would just sit still like this." The girl sighed. "He's a little terror."

Adrien offered his hand. Plagg excitedly hopped on him.

"You didn't train him much?"

"No. He only knows not to go to the bathroom in the house. Other than that, he's an escape artist, he barks at people, and jumps on people. And eats table food, drinks toilet water, eats the garbage..."

"Hmm. How old is he? Still a puppy?"

"No, he's only a few years old. I got him after my divorce. He's really sweet and cuddly."

"Oh...are you the wife of the guy my ex wife was cheating with? Marinette..." ?

"Dupain-Cheng. Ex wife of your ex wife's lover." She explained. "We saw each other in court, remember? The divorce?"

"Yep."

"How has it been with you? Find anyone new?"

"No," Adrien shrugged. "I just keep on training dogs, as usual. I could train Plagg.

"Oh, that'd be nice, but it's been like this forever. He's probably a lost cause."

"No dog is a lost cause when it comes to training, Marinette. Perseverance and determination is key."

"Something I don't have time for nor am I interested in after my love life and my career crashed and burned." Marinette sighed.

Adrien frowned a little bit. He could understand how her love life crashed and burned; her husband was cheating on her with his wife. But her career? What happened?"

"You wanna talk about it?" Adrien asked.

Marinette looked up at him. "Um..."

"Was that prodding too deep?!" He asked. "Sorry."

"No, it wasn't. I suppose I don't mind talking about it with you. Just not here, at a dog park. Out in public."

"Oh, so like...a coffee shop?"

Marinette's lips turned up a little bit. "Are you trying to ask me on a date?"

"Uh...if you want to see it like that, then sure. But I don't have romantic intentions with you yet, not after you just divorced."

Marinette shrugged. "It's been three years since. That means that my divorce isn't new. As for you, though, you really seem like you're trying to find love again."

"Hey, I'm not. I was a little bit of a playboy as a teenager, but when I married Chloe it was just her and I. Now it's just me. I'd like to fall in love again, but I'm not desperately searching. Are you?"

"No. Same sort of situation as you."

"Mm...okay, can I see your phone for a second?"

"Mm...why?"

"I want to write something down."

"What do you want to write down?"

"I don't know you that well, what do you think I'm going to write down? A book dedicated to you?"

"I thought you were a dog trainer."

"Marinette," Adrien whined.

"Oh, fine. Here." Marinette unlocked her cell phone and gave it to him. He found her notepad app and started a new note, then typed in his number and gave her phone back.

"You seem interesting. And I know you're still...maybe recovering from your previous marriage. But I want to get to know more about you."

Marinette looked at him, then the phone. She smiled. "Okay. I'll take that. We'll arrange it soon."

"Just text me." Adrien said with a smile. "Hey, where'd the dogs go?"

Marinette realized that Tikki and Plagg had disappeared.

"I...don't know." She squeaked. "This is a wonderful day. I manage to lose both my dog and yours. I'm so sorry-"

"Ah ah ah ah ah. Hush."

Marinette went quiet.

Adrien pulled out a dog whistle and blew it.

No response from the two dogs.

"We lost them!" Marinette cried. "Oh, I'm so horrible! I can't keep a husband, a job, and now a dog."

"Marinette, stop it. They're gonna come back."

"Oh yeah? Where are they? Where could they be?"

"I'm trying to piece that together right now but they're still here. So stop freaking out, please."

Marinette folded her arms. "If you're so sure that they're still here, why don't you go find them?"

Adrien sighed. "You're so stubborn." He mumbled.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"No, I can keep it to myself."

"Ugh," Marinette groaned. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Adrien expectantly.

Adrien got up and went up to find the dogs.

Marinette heard a man yelp not too far from where she saw Adrien disappear. Was it him?

She got up to investigate.

She found him behind a tree, near both dogs, who were close to each other.

"What did you yelp for?" She asked softly.

"Do you see this?" He asked urgently, gesturing to the dogs.

"Yeah, they're close. What about it?"

"You don't know what that signifies in dogs?!"

"No, I'm not a dog trainer."

"It means that they probably, most likely mated."

"Mated?" She squeaked. "As in...mounted? To get puppies?!"

"Yeah."

"You didn't spay Tikki?"

"No, I didn't."

"Did you want to breed her?"

"No, I didn't, but if something happened in which I had to let her go, I didn't want to ruin her chances of finding a mate and having puppies. Did you intend that with Plagg?"

"No. I just...wasn't really...interested in neutering him."

Adrien examined both the dogs.

"Is Plagg a rescue?" He asked.

Marinette nodded.

"Was he a puppy when you got him?"

"No, he was born when I got married. I got him after I divorced, as a present from my friends and family because a lot was going on. I was caring for him at an animal shelter, and one day I went and was told that he got adopted. When I got home he was right there."

"Do you know what he was before you got him?"

"Puppy mill dog." She said. "He was used to breed and make more puppies. One day, he ran away, I found him, and now we're here."

"So his mating nature is just still around."

"Do you think he's gonna go and do this with other dogs?"

"Er...maybe. It depends on how often Plagg and Tikki see each other. If they just break off then yes, probably. But if we keep them together then no, they'll probably mate for life."

Marinette smiled a little bit. "I wish humans were like that."

"It's a similar ideal." Adrien said.

"Here," Marinette gave him a sticky note with her number written on it. "Text me or call me if something goes wrong with her. I'm really sorry Plagg did that."

Adrien smiled. "Marinette, why are you so apologetic for the littlest mistakes?"

"This isn't little. Tikki might be pregnant. That's dangerous in dogs, they don't get epidurals! If Tikki dies in child birth then it's my fault!"

"I doubt that Tikki is going to die in child birth, Marinette, this stuff happens in nature all the time. It's nothing we need to worry about. Now stop beating yourself up. Today was a little bumpy but that's common for first meetings."

Marinette nodded.

"I'll see you soon," he said. "Come on, Tikki."

Marinette readied Plagg's leash. "Let's go, Plagg."


	2. Chapter One

Marinette was born to Sabine Cheng, a call girl, in February 2001, as a result of a one night stand she had as a young teenager; her sweet sixteen.

Were Sabine's parents approving? No.

Were her friends? No.

Was her boss? No.

Was the father? Yes.

At first, Sabine saw Marinette as a life ruining parasite. As soon as she was born, she had Tom Dupain, her one night stand, come take the little girl.

"It's important that you see your own daughter, Sabine." Tom had chided when he came to visit her in China. Marinette was almost a year old, and Tom brought her for the lunar new year.

"Ugh, why? She's ruined the life I had." Sabine grumbled.

"Because you grew her and pushed her out. She's your daughter, too. She's going to start wondering why she doesn't have a mommy."

Sabine frowned at her sleeping daughter.

"Fine. I'll start seeing her after I finish university."

So Marinette and Sabine met whenever Marinette was six years old. Sabine quickly learned that her daughter was extremely curious and sneaky, and social and sweet, but loved the cameras and clothing stores. Anything fashion.

That's when Sabine realized that Marinette could be a model.

She had potential. Plenty.

"I want to see her every weekend, break, and day off." Sabine said when she returned Marinette. "You can have the holidays with her."

"What happened? Something exciting?" Tom asked.

"This girl may have stolen my beauty, but she broadcasts it so well. She has so much potential to be the host of wonderful clothing in front of a camera!"

"Is that something you want or something both of you want?"

"Both!" Marinette exclaimed.

"Alright then. I suppose I'll be seeing you next week." Tom said.

"Yeah, yeah. Bye, my little fashionista!" Sabine exclaimed, kissing Marinette's cheek and then strutting away.

"I like her!" Marinette told Tom.

And thus blossomed a good little relationship between Marinette and Sabine, and a good social life for Marinette. Sabine took photos of her and sent them to a top modeling agency in Paris, who was glad to take her as one of their models. Marinette's popularity skyrocketed. People knew her as a model. All the girls in school looked up to her, and all the boys in school clamored after her. Marinette wasn't interested in much interaction with boys unless it was shooing them away.

But one boy in particular, she had eyes for...

She remembered the first time she saw him. Her last year of collège, sitting in the back of the class, sketching and sneaking glances at her.

At the end of class, she came up to him.

"Hey," she said softly. The boy jumped and looked up at her. "Class is over. You wouldn't want to be late, would you?"

"N-no...thank you for getting me. I was too focused on drawing."

"You're an artist? May I see?"

"U-um...sure."

The boy uncovered his sketchbook. Marinette was taken aback at the art on the page. It was as if she'd been made into a drawing and slapped on paper. Extremely accurate with the proportioning and details. Down to the tiniest ones.

She noticed the signature.

Nathaniel. Nathaniel Kurtzburg.

"You're very talented with your art, Nathaniel. I wanna see more of it. I'm quite booked, but here's my number." She took his pen and wrote it down on a blank space on the sketch of her. "You can text me if you wanna talk. Maybe we can arrange a date?"

"Yeah. That'd be lovely. Thank you."

Marinette smiled at him, and then rushed to her next class.

"I met a boy," She told Sabine when she returned. "He's a really good artist. I like him."

"A boy? What's he like?"

"Red hair, turquoise eyes, quiet, but extremely analytical and talented."

"What's his social status? Does he have a lot of friends?"

"I'm not sure yet. But I was sort of wondering if I could have some time freed in my schedule to get to know him more."

"Do you think he's going to please you sufficiently and be useful?"

"Please me? Yes. Be useful? Possibly."

"Okay then, sure. You can arrange a date with him, but he must swear to confidentiality about this."

"Yes ma'am!" Marinette exclaimed, and rushed up to her room. She squealed in excitement.

Finally, a boy who was the beast to her beauty.

Their first date wasn't very awkward. Just Marinette learning about him and seeing his artwork. She wanted to learn, so he'd set time aside and try and teach her, but she distract him with her flirtations that he easily fell victim to. By their third date, they'd kissed and he'd told her that he loved her. They dated throughout lycée. On her eighteenth birthday, he surprised her with an apartment for the both of them, and a special question.

"Will you marry me?" He'd asked.

How could she say no to staying with someone like him forever? And wearing that ring, belonging to him, being able to fend off all the boys with proof that she was taken?! She couldn't refuse! She said yes.

"Where do you want the wedding?" He asked.

"I really don't know. There are so many nice places. The city of love, Italy, China, somewhere in Asia...I can't choose."

"Well...what kind of a wedding do you envision?"

"A summer wedding?" Marinette asked. "Yeah, maybe a summer wedding on a beach, with exotic foods and music and clothing. Of course, we'd have to have a civil wedding here, first, too, but a big one? Summer wedding."

"How many people?"

"Lots! You can invite close friends from your college classes and I can invite close friends from modeling and Italy! As well as family."

"So maybe an Italian beach? And a honeymoon? Where would you want that?"

"If we marry in Italy, civally marry here, then maybe Thailand for a honeymoon!"

"They're all beautiful cities and perfect for us." Nathaniel said, writing them down. "Would you like a wedding planner?"

"I mean, we really don't need much of one. We can do the paperwork for a legal wedding here. Then, the reception, we repeat our vows and eat all the food and dance."

"That sounds nice."

So Marinette and Nathaniel officially married a year later, when they were nineteen, in Paris. They held a reception in Italy, had a honeymoon in Thailand, and settled down in a big villa in Paris, with Nathaniel in his degree in art and Marinette continuing her job as a model.

Their marriage was healthy to them. Bedtime was always, they spoiled each other, didn't argue..."healthy".

Until Nathaniel brought up the fact that he wanted kids.

"You know...I'm tired of us getting nowhere."

"Getting nowhere? What do you mean?" Marinette asked.

"Don't married couples have babies? Start families?"

"Yeah, they do. But not all of them."

"But most of them do." Nathaniel argued. "Why don't we try and make some babies, Mari?"

"I...I don't know, Nath. I'm a model. Pregnancy is going to mess up my body. You know how strict the agency is about that. It could make me lose my job! Which I don't want to happen. I love modeling."

"You'd rather work than start a family with me?" Nathaniel asked. "Do you not want kids?"

"I don't know. My body is weird, my doctors tell me that with how I strain my body for my career, that pregnancy can be a pipe dream."

"Models have gotten pregnant before, Marinette. You know that, right?"

"Yes, but in A.B. Models? Nope. Babies are a sin there."

"Why don't you find another agency then?"

"Because A.B. Models doesn't take you back! You go and your stuck. If you wanna leave, you must pay with actual money. And there's no return to it. I've been with A.B. Models my whole life. I don't want to stop doing what I love for a baby. Besides, it's probably impossible."

Nathaniel's face hardened. "I can't believe you. Having no hope in yourself? Choosing a stupid agency rather than a family?"

"Yes, no hope in myself and choosing my job over a family I might not ever have. This is my body, you can't tell me what to do with it. You can't tell me that I have to have babies."

"I can make you," Nathaniel mumbled quietly. He simply sighed and turned his back to his wife.

_Watch me. He thought mischievously._

"How was your appointment?" Nathaniel asked excitedly a few weeks later.

"I'm not pregnant. My doctor just suspects its PMS or my cycle acting up again." She told him.

Nathaniel's face drooped.

"Don't make that face. You know we use contraception all the time. I can't conceive off of that and I don't plan to. Honestly, I'm sort of annoyed that you breathed down my neck to book an appointment."

"You can't blame me, okay? My contraception is old, it may have some defects."

"Exactly. And since I don't want you getting me pregnant, here's a new box!"

Nathaniel frowned as his wife gave him a new box.

"These are brand new, so they should prevent any action going on. I expect to find them open and used after a night with you."

"Yeah...sure." Nathaniel grumbled.

That night, Marinette was too annoyed to do anything heated with him. She went to work early the next morning.

Nathaniel always returned earlier than her, so he took his chance. Getting a knife and a safety pin, he removed every sheath from its packaging and poked holes in the bottoms.

"She's never gonna notice this." He said.

"No. No, no, no!" Marinette shouted angrily, glaring at the pregnancy test.

The positive pregnancy test, that was.

That she didn't want to see.

How did this happen?! She just bought him a brand new package! She saw him put them on. They were supposed to prevent this! So why was she staring at two blue lines that she didn't wish to see?!

_"Nathaniel!"_ She yelled. He rushed into the bathroom.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She grabbed the pregnancy test and threw it at him. "Explain to me how this happened. I just got you another box."

"Maybe the brand is cheap."

"That was a premium, expensive brand. That wouldn't make sense. I know how much you want a baby...did you...sabotage them?!"

"Me? Sabotage them? No! I got the message, you don't want babies. I'd never sabotage them."

"You little motherfucking bastard," she growled. "You fucking sabotaged these! How could you do this?!"

She pushed past him. "You know I didn't want babies!"

"Well too bad! I do!"

"You aren't the one who has to risk losing your job for it! And being sick, and risking your life for a baby!"

"You're being so goddamn dramatic, Marinette! You aren't gonna lose your job or life having a baby!"

"I'm not being dramatic, Nathaniel, I'm being realistic! You think we women just take carrying babies and pushing them out with a grain of salt, don't you? Well, news flash, we don't!"

"Ugh. You are a bitch."

"And you're a motherfucking shitty asshole! I can't believe you'd do this to your own wife."

"Maybe if you'd went with what I wanted I wouldn't have had to do this the hard way."

"You shouldn't have done it at all." Marinette told him softly. She opened her mouth, then shut it.

She took the couch that night.

Why would he do that?! How could he?

She didn't want a baby.

She didn't want to end its life, either. It filled her with guilt.

But she wanted to keep her job.

She had to.

A week later, Marinette had forgiven Nathaniel for what he'd done. He'd promised her he wouldn't do it again. She got birth control just to make sure. They hadn't said a word about the baby.

When they'd had a night together and they disbanded, he noticed some blood come out along with it.

"What is that?" He asked.

Marinette panicked. It was the baby. She was bleeding.

"My...period?" She squeaked.

"Your period?! Aren't you pregnant? Didn't those stop?"

"I-implantation bleeding!"

"How long does that go on for?"

"Not...long! I'm fine."

"Okay. We'll take it easy, okay?"

Marinette breathed a sigh of relief.

A few days later, he noticed that she was still bleeding.

"Maybe you should go to the doctor's. This implantation bleeding doesn't seem normal."

"It is, it is! Just relax! No biggie here."

"You're hiding something." Nathaniel snarled.

"U-um...me? Hiding something? No! What makes you think that?"

"You never sound sure. Natural. As if it's something you've made up to cover something else up."

"I'm just...the pregnancy is taking a toll on me. I'm okay."

"Tell me the truth, Marinette. Is that really implantation bleeding?"

Marinette wrapped her arms around her stomach nervously. "N-no."

"What is it, then?"

"The birth control..." She said softly. "It's causing a miscarriage."

"You're on birth control again?"

"Yeah...I disguised them as prenatal pills."

"You idiot. First you make the mistake of choosing your job over a family, then scream about me getting you pregnant the hard way because you wouldn't let me the easy way, and then get birth control pills while you're pregnant! What do you think, you're gonna get pregnant while you're pregnant?!"

"It's...happened before." She said quietly.

"Well you aren't. I can't believe this, Marinette. You're a cowardly murderer. You didn't even give the baby a single chance."

Coward.

Murderer.

"Now you already forced me to sabotage the contraceptives to get you pregnant. And now you go and terminate the pregnancy behind my back."

"I'm sorry..."

"Shut the fuck up, bitch! I'm not done. You think I'm going to let you off easy with this? With being afraid of carrying a baby? Then killing it? And being cold towards me? Ending our nights?"

Marinette trembled in fear.

"No. No. Not at all, sweetheart. I don't play that. You aren't allowed. You know what I'm going to do?"

Marinette watched Nathaniel grab the boxes and containers of contraceptives and throw them into the trashcan.

"Get you pregnant on purpose."

**WARNING: The next part of this story contains a vague scene of assault. If that is something that bothers you, then please skip down to the next bold/underline sentence.**

"You can toss our contraceptives, but you can't open my legs. I won't let you in."

"Don't speak before you think." Nathaniel growled, backing her into the bed. He crawled on top of her.

Marinette raised her knee and jammed it between his legs with a smirk. Nathaniel yowled in pain. She pushed him off of her, causing him to fall off the bed.

"Bitch," he spat.

"That can count as rape, you know. Husband or not, I didn't give you consent to do that. It's illegal either way."

She reached for her phone. Successfully grabbing it, she unlocked it and found speed dial.

"No!" Nathaniel yelled, grabbing her phone and throwing it at a wall. Marinette watched the screen go black.

Back up plan! Back up plan!

She grabbed his cell phone.

"A step ahead of you, too." He said, grabbing his phone and throwing it across the room. Marinette bolted for it, but he was able to get up and pin her to the floor. "Don't move."

Marinette squirmed.

"I said _don't_ move!"

He put a hand around her neck. Marinette choked.

"Now sit still."

Nathaniel released his hand from his wife's neck and pulled her pants down. She choked some more, regaining some lost oxygen.

Next plan.

Scream.

Marinette screamed loudly.

Nathaniel panicked. She kept screaming.

He rushed to grab a book and hit her in the head with it.

Everything went black to her after that.

**The assault scene is over.**

_Blink._

_Blink._

Marinette opened her eyes. It was sunny outside.

There was a note next to her.

She sat up and groaned.

Her head was killing her. She clutched it for a few minutes before grabbing it.

_Marinette-_

_Guess what, princessa? I got into your pants last night. I was so good, I knocked you out. That's how I got in. Your birth control and morning after pills are gone, too, so just let the conception happen. Don't kill the baby this time or else I kill you._

_Your phone is broken and I broke the computer, your laptop, and your tablet, so good luck trying to tell anyone. You aren't getting another. What happened last night stays between us. I'll kill whoever knows and then you next._

_Stay here today. I find you gone? I'll find you and kill you._

Marinette's eyes watered.

He'd threatened to kill her three times and kill whoever knew once.

Her legs were hurting, she couldn't escape.

She was stuck.

Marinette laid back down on the floor.

Nathaniel came home later.

"You stayed." He said. "Good girl. I hope you read my note."

Marinette nodded.

"Wonderful. I brought you some food. Eat up, then I'll screw you until your eyes close for the night.

Marinette heard that lots. Eventually, she adjusted to the soreness from their nights spent together and regained the ability to walk around the house and care for herself.

Did she turn up pregnant? Yes. Her first instinct was to kill it, but she couldn't do that. Nathaniel would kill her.

Unless she ran away.

_I'll find you and kill you._

It didn't matter. It was worth a shot to run away. Even if she died.

While he was working, every day, Marinette would pack her bags full of clothing and food, as well as a gun, and her licenses and credit cards. A week later, she was ready to leave. She just had to find somewhere to go.

She had no way to contact her family. She was scared to get Sabine. She trusted Tom more when it came to this.

She pulled a piece of paper from her diary and wrote him a note.

_Nathaniel-_

_I'm gone now. Come find me. Go ahead and try it._

_I'm pregnant now. So if you kill me, you kill the baby. Who wants that, hmm?_

_Take your rings back._

_The next time I see you, it'll be as an enemy. Bars will separate us._

_-M_

Marinette took the note and got dressed.

She slung her bag over her shoulder, took the note, slipped it under the door, and rushed to the next bus stop. Thankfully, she was right and time, and it was where she wanted to go. The airport.

"Princessa! Daddy's home!"

Silence.

"Marinette?"

Nathaniel noticed the note under the door. He picked it up and read it, then crumpled up the note.

"That _bitch_!"

"Papa!" Marinette cried, busting into her father's home and rushing into his arms.

"Marinette?" Tom asked. "You didn't tell me you were visiting."

"I know. I'm sorry."

She started to cry.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" He asked his daughter.

_I'll kill whoever knows and then you next._

"I...I...do you still have the copy of the marriage papers?" She stammered.

"Your marriage papers?! What's going on?!" Tom asked.

_I'll kill..._

"Papa...Nathaniel is..."

_...whoever knows..._

"...a-abusing me..."

_...and then you next._

"_HE'S WHAT_?!" Tom roared. "Marinette, what is he doing? Why is he doing it? Where is he?!"

"H-he's probably home looking for me." She said, tears spilling out of her eyes. "He'll eventually figure out that I came here. He threatened to kill me if I told anyone. A-and whoever knows. He's gonna kill you, it's all my fault!"

Marinette fell to the floor and sobbed. "I'm gonna die...I'm gonna die..." She whispered.

"Have you told the police about this?"

"No."

Tom sighed.

"What is he doing to you?"

"He hit me in the head with a book and rapes me every night." She said quietly. "He's threatened to kill me if I run away or tell someone."

"Okay, Marinette, calm down. I'm going to call the police, alright?"

Marinette nodded.

"Go make yourself at home and relax. I'll call Lila over."

Marinette rushed up to her old bedroom. She cried hard.

_"113, what's your emergency?"_

"This is Tom Dupain, manager of the Dupain Pizza Shop. I'd like to report a case of abuse."

_"Okay. Do you have the name of the suspect, victim, and address?"_

"The suspect is Nathaniel Kurtzburg. He's twenty two years old. My daughter fled here to Italy after he's hit her in the head with a book and raped her consecutively."

_"What's your daughter's name and age, sir?"_

"Marinette Kurtzburg, also age twenty two. She's been threatened death, also."

_"And finally, the address of the suspect?"_

Tom gave the address.

_"We'll have this call forwarded to the P.P.D., sir. Thank you for notifying us about this."_

Tom hung up the phone and called Lila.

"Hello!"

"Lila, please come over now. Marinette just flew in. Something bad happened and I think you're the perfect person to help."

"Okay, I'll be there soon!"

_"We're looking for a Nathaniel Kurtzburg! Red hair, turquoise colored eyes, average height!"_

Nathaniel gasped.

Who the hell had sent the police looking for him?! And how?!

He had to go.

"Are they looking for you?" Chloe asked.

"They are, baby girl. This little felon's gotta fly away, but I'll see you tomorr—"

"No you won't." Came a voice.

"Adrien!" Chloe exclaimed. "It isn't what it looks like!"

"I know what I'm seeing, Chloe, and we'll talk about you and I later. Now you. Am I going to have to do this the easy way or the hard way?"

"How about no way?" Nathaniel asked, and bolted away.

Adrien got out his cell phone and called the police.

_"P.P.D., what's your emergency?"_

"Nathaniel Kurtzburg is outside of the Bourgeois hotel," Adrien said.

The line beeped, signifying a hang up. It wasn't long before Adrien heard sirens, shouting, and eventually gunshots.

"You wanna talk about it?" Lila asked Marinette softly.

Marinette stirred her soup, watching her crackers sog. She shook her head.

"Give her some time. She'll come around." Tom promised.

"I don't want to talk about it," Marinette said. "He ruined my life. He scarred me. He ruined our marriage, all because I didn't want a baby. Now, because of him, I'm going to lose my job. And my home."

"Oh, sweetie, no..." Tom said. "I'm sure you'll still be able to live in your villa. It was something you've always wanted."

"Now it's filled with bad memories and flashbacks that I don't want. It's not like I'll find love or have kids again. All I really want is a tiny house."

Lila and Tom looked at each other.

"You know what you're gonna do?" Lila asked.

Marinette looked up at her friend.

"We are going to go back to Paris, watch him get sentenced to life in prison, and celebrate his death. We'll burn all the art, love letters, anything you two had. We'll make it as if you two were never."

Marinette sighed. "I'll still remember him."

"Yeah, as an enemy." Lila grumbled.

The girls left as quickly as Marinette had rushed over there. They got news from the jail that Nathaniel's sentencing would be in four weeks, which gave them plenty of time to mow over the papers for the divorce and go to court before his sentencing.

"I now pronounce you two divorced. Marinette Kurtzburg has returned to Marinette Dupain-Cheng due to the marital misdemeanors that Nathaniel has committed such as adultery, cruelty, and spousal abuse."

Marinette felt as if a big weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She'd burnt every love letter, picture, and present that she could, tossed out the presents she could, and even the house.

It was as if she was leaving a house full of all the problems he promised as long as they were a couple. Every bad memory. Even her job. Just leaving the past behind.

And entering a new house.

A new, clean, untouched, untainted house that awaited memories to be made.

Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm sorry if it triggered anything. Actually, I'll put a warning. Anyways, Unstoppable Ch. 3 is almost done. It'll be coming out next Friday. As for this; it's finished, I just need to get the other chapters to the document manager. They'll be released every day starting on Sunday. As for those of you who read Four Couples, Same Habits, there are two oneshots that I'll be writing soon. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about it.

-Thorne


	3. Chapter Two

Adrien was born as Adrien Adil Avellino Aristide Alicio Athanase Agreste to a happy, bright woman named Emilie, and a high expectation father named Gabriel, who had his own fashion company.

Emilie worked as a wedding cake designer, and Gabriel worked as a fashion designer. The two had met in an lycée art class.

They married after university, and quickly after, Adrien popped right out on the thirteenth of October.

Gabriel wanted his son to take after him, in the art of designing clothing.

Adrien wasn't at all interested in that. Instead, he was interested in dogs. He always had a book in his hand reading about dogs, was on the computer learning about dogs, or playing with them. Or helping someone get their dog under control.

Dogs were like a life force for him.

He met Chloe in his first day of collège, in a library.

He was reaching for a book that she quickly snatched from his almost grasp.

"Poodles?" He asked.

"Yeah, poodles!" Chloe exclaimed. "Every girl has to have a poodle. I'm trying to learn about them so that I can convince my parents to let me have one!"

"Do you want a poodle because everyone else is getting them, or do you have a legitimate reason?" Adrien asked. "Poodles are extremely hard work, you know."

"My butler can handle it." Chloe said.

"Oh. Okay then."

Adrien noticed the other books she had. How to get a guy to fall in love with you, and more with boys.

"Well...I'll be seeing you!"

The next time they went to the library, Adrien noticed how she had books about drawing.

"Have you got your poodle now?" Adrien asked.

"Yep!" Chloe exclaimed. "I named it Sabrina."

Sabrina the poodle. Interesting name for a dog.

"And now you're getting art books?"

"Your father is a fashion designer. I want to be like him!"

"Oh."

"Yeah! Here, give my parents numbers to your father. I want to have personal drawing lessons with you and your father!"

And that is how the two grew close to each other. Adrien didn't want it to happen, but he didn't dislike it. When they reached lycée, Chloe was flirting with him, and Adrien, being the rather hormonal playboy that he was at the time, flirted right back. He pursued a temporary relationship with her, where temporary actually ended up as something that lasted to terminale.

Just as Adrien was ready to end things with Chloe to pursue a degree in business and dog training to start his business, Paws! Obedience Haven, his father called a family meeting with Chloe's parents.

"Adrien, your mother and I have decided that to uphold the reputation of the Agreste name, you will marry Chloe Bourgeois."

"What?!" Adrien yelped. "Why?!"

"He just told you why, sweetie. To uphold the family name. You know the Agreste name is honorable. No hookup could fit what's needed to be an Agreste." Emilie said softly. Adrien folded his arms.

"Did you even consider if I ever wanted to find another love after university?" Adrien asked. "You've already strangled me with the knowledge of fashion design, something I don't want, and now you're forcing me to marry someone who was only temporary! How am I supposed to get the work I want to done if I'm distracted?!"

"It's possible." Chloe's mother said. "My girl takes on right after me. She's going to take over A.B. Models in four years!"

"Exactly. It makes her a great contestant to be a Mrs. Agreste. She's like Gabriel." Chloe's father said.

Despite his wishes, Adrien married Chloe a year later. Thankfully, he was able to start the dog training company he wanted and be a part of it, but he had to do so while servicing Chloe, who really only cared about nights with him, her poodle, and A.B. Models.

Adrien didn't care that he wasn't the main focus. She wasn't marked on his nonexistent permanent list.

So when he found her with a man with red hair and turquoise eyes, who was suddenly on the run with the police, was he really surprised? No. Mad? No. Hurt? No. It was something that could separate them, something he definitely wanted. As he was in the mayor's office signing the divorce paper, his eyes weren't narrow nor were there any tears. Just a relieved, satisfied, yet smug look on his face.

As he was leaving the hall, he noticed the guy that was Chloe's other man being escorted away, and a girl with jet black hair slowly walking away, her head down and shoulders slowly, gently shaking while another man walked next to her - definitely older than her, maybe a father or uncle - and a girl with long, brown hair and olive green skin on the other side of her.

Maybe those two divorced the same reason he and Chloe did.

He smiled a little bit. At least she was free from whatever else Nathaniel had done to her. He'd never understand the trauma, but he'd always understand that feeling of long awaited freedom.


	4. Chapter Three

_~the present~_

After Adrien got home that day, the first thing he did was think.

Did he want a relationship with Marinette, or just a close friendship with her?

And why?

If he wanted either, then why? Did he feel bad for her? Was it out of pity?

No, no.

Friend or something more, Adrien wanted to be one of the people that understood the struggle and hardships of a toxic marriage. Someone that she could go to easily if she needed to cry.

He wanted to be her rock.

But was it a good idea? Was he being too pushy about them? They'd only seen each other, just barely technically, in the mayor's hall. She'd come out of an marriage not too long ago.

He wanted to ask her on a date, but he didn't want his playboy instincts controlling him.

He grabbed his phone. Should he contact Marinette, or Nino?

Nino first.

_Nino, can we talk for a bit?_

**No problem, dude, wassup?**

_You remember how I divorced Chloe because she was cheating on me with a guy named Nathaniel Kurtzburg?_

**Yeah. Where are we going with this?**

_Lemme finish. Any who, that Nathaniel had a wife. Notice HAD._

**Yeah. She divorced him before he was sentenced a year in prison.**

_He was imprisoned? How come?_

**He was abusing his wife.**

_Oh gosh. Not only abusing her but cheating._

**Yeah.**

_Well you see, earlier today his ex-wife's dog ran towards me and I recognized her! Her name is Marinette. Dupain-Cheng, now._

**Good for you?**

_Yeah, yeah...but uh...our dogs mated while we were talking about what had been happening. She said something about her love life and career crashing and burning, so I told her that I was interested in learning more about her and gave her my number. She gave me mine._

**Oh really? Has the Agreste finally decided to reenter the couple's picture?**

_Honestly, I'm scared to ask her on a date. I don't know if that was my general early playboy senses of actual love._

**You said that you wanted to know more about her, to start. So before you define yourself foot over face for her, learn about her, then evaluate if and why you love her.**

_That's the thing. What questions do I ask without hurting her?_

**Women aren't glasses, dude. If you accidentally hurt her I'm sure she won't hold a grudge. You have the "I didn't know" pass to keep you safe.**

_What's a good first date spot?_

**Considering she's a well known divorced, recently fired model, probably somewhere low populated and secluded.**

_So maybe a reservation at a very expensive restaurant?_

**No. A walk around the beach. Or a park. Maybe scenic Paris. A trail, even. It'll be perfect, you can bring the dogs.**

_I suppose we could do that. What questions would I ask her? You never answered me the first time._

**I'll give you the link to some questions to ask her. I gotta blast dude.**

_Okay, bye Nino._

Adrien turned off his phone and threw it to the side. He found the sticky note Marinette gave him, with her number written down on it.

He smiled as he entered it into his phone and sent her a text.

_Can I surprise you?_

A few weeks later, Marinette was sitting in front of her mirror, doing her hair for her date with Adrien, who told her that she needed to wear something cool and comfortable. She went with a white crop top and dark blue tight jeans. She decided to wear her hair down.

"That's gonna send him crazy!" Lila exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked.

"First date and you're showcasing all the goods!" Lila elaborated. "What are you trying to do, bring him straight to the bed like you did with Nathaniel?"

"Maybe," Marinette shrugged. "Maybe not. He was checking me out that one day at the park with the dogs. The shirt wasn't tight but the leggings obviously were."

"Did he pop one?"

"Uh-no!" Marinette squeaked. "Maybe?! I don't know, I wasn't looking there!"

"I say you do today."

"Lila, are you trying to get me dumped before he gets us pumped?!" Marinette asked.

"No. But just in case you two pop straight in. Anyways, here." Lila gave her friend a small foil package.

"Lila!" Marinette yelped.

"Oh, would you look at that? I have to go."

Lila quickly scurried out of the house. Marinette sighed. She delicately tucked the little package away into her bag, then went off to get Plagg ready.

"There you are," Adrien said.

Marinette blushed a little bit. He was leaning against his car. It was an Audi A8.

"Where's Tikki?" Marinette asked.

"She's in the backseat."

"Is it safe for Plagg to see her?"

"Depends. How does Plagg behave around bitches?"

Marinette was about to jump in surprise, but realized that he meant female dogs.

"Oh, um...I don't really know."

"What do you mean?"

"Plagg is socialized well, yes, but I'm scared that he's gonna try something bad."

"Don't be scared, Marinette. He probably won't. That isn't what mates do."

Marinette looked away from him. For me, yes it is.

Adrien let Tikki out of the car. Plagg simply sat down and waited for her.

"See?"

Tikki broke free and got close to Plagg.

"How is she doing?" Marinette asked.

"She's always pretty tired or not hungry. I brought her to the vet who told me that she was pregnant."

"When?"

"Recently."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

Marinette frowned. "Dammit." She mumbled.

Adrien opened the front door for her.

"After the lady."

Marinette's blush reappeared briefly before disappearing. She got into the car.

The car ride was only half an hour before they arrived somewhere beautiful.

"Wow," Marinette sighed in awe. "It's beautiful here."

"Is it your first time?"

"Here in a garden like this? Yeah."

"How come?"

"My mother occupied me with so much when I was a child. Fitting this, rehearsal that, photoshoot this and that...nothing new."

"Fitting?"

"Yeah, fittings for clothes I was going to model, rehearsals for shows, and photoshoots for catalogues. I was a model since I turned six."

"Really?"

"Yeah. First it was for A.B., then after her daughter took it over it was for Chloe."

"So the CEO of your job took your husband? Is that the main reason you two split?"

"No. He was doing far worse to me than cheating." Marinette admitted. "He was abusing me."

"He was? How come he'd do that?! Did you do something?"

"I really don't know if it would count as me doing something," Marinette shrugged. "He told me that he wanted kids, but I wasn't interested. I just went on more birth control. He poked holes in his protection, which eventually got me pregnant, but then I miscarried because I was being criticized for feeling sick and taking off of my job."

"Did you tell him?"

Marinette smiled a little. "Yeah."

"It's a bad memory but you're smiling about it?"

"Yeah. Calling him a shitty asshole was fun. He deserved it. I yelled at him for getting me pregnant, then killed the baby, told him it was implantation bleeding, and that didn't work for long before he found out I took birth control that aborted the pregnancy."

"How'd he feel about that?"

"He wasn't happy at all. He called me a cowardly murderer. I was scared of being pregnant and losing my job, so that's what I got called. He tossed all my contraceptives and his, too."

"You slept with him even after that?"

"No, my libidos wasn't high at all after that first stunt he pulled. I wouldn't let him in, which just aggravated him even more. He was trying to pry me apart, but I was screaming and trying to call the police. Which...didn't work. He knocked me unconscious with a book and a few weeks later I was pregnant. I couldn't abort it. He just kept raping me until I regained the strength to move. So I started packing my bags and stuff, then while he was at 'work' I ran away."

"Where'd you go?"

"Back to Italy. I lived there for six years before Maman brought me to Paris and my modeling started. I went to my Papa's house; he had backup marriage documents since Nath had torn our original ones to pieces. Do you remember the rest?"

"That day I found him with Chloe? Yeah. I'm not so pleased that he got just a year, though. Sabotaging your marriage, raping your wife, just because she doesn't want a baby? I understand the frustration of disagreement, but he went too far. I'm so sorry that happened, Marinette. He should have gotten longer. Have you guys talked after he was released?"

"No. What about you and Chloe?"

"She tries coming back to me but I don't let her. I'm not interested."

"With her assets? I'm surprised."

"How come?"

"Well you were quite the playboy in lycée."

Adrien blushed. "Where'd you get that from?"

"My friend." Marinette answered. "It's nothing to be awkward about. Your hormones were raging!"

"Yeah. I guess. My parents never knew. It was a getaway. But I'm surprised that I haven't scared you off with that fact."

"If women run away from that, then their brains are a tad bit fried. You formerly being the lycée playboy isn't something that grosses or weirds me out. It's part of who you are. I'm accepting of that."

"You're very sweet to say that, Marinette."

"My first word was thanks," Marinette admitted with a giggle. "What else do you wanna know?"

"Your model life."

"My model life?"

"How'd you become a model?"

"Oh, that. My mother."

"She forced you?"

"Sort of, but I really didn't mind. I actually loved it, being in front of cameras and dressing up. I still do. But if you want the full story, then I guess I'll start at the very beginning. My mother, she...she'd always slept with a lot of men, starting from her conceiving me. My father was her first, and out of that came me. She was sixteen."

"You two are only sixteen years apart?"

"Yeah...anyways, she wanted to leave me with my father, but he told her to come see me after she finished school. I met her when I was six, and she learned that I liked photos and dress up, and took me away to A.B. Models, who gladly took me in. I lived here in Paris after that, and was with A.B. for sixteen years before they fired me because I'd missed work and...you know, the whole ideal with Nathaniel."

"Yeah. That's really unfair. Could you have gotten pregnant and moved to maternity modeling or something of the sorts?"

Marinette sighed. "A.B. doesn't have that. They despise maternity modeling. And pregnancy modeling. Or being sick. Or sad. That's just modeling. And yes, I could have tried maternity modeling had Nathaniel start abusing me because I refused to carry his baby, but I was too scared that people would see the marks and scars and my swollen eyes and pink face and force it out of me, so I didn't. Nath had threatened that if I told anyone then he'd kill them, then me."

"Whoa..."

"Yeah. I still remember his voice, I remember how the letter was written in red ink and those death threats were popping out at me. His voice pops into my head before I tell people. I have to remind myself that it won't happen. But I'm just...that's hard when he isn't locked up behind bars, when he's lurking around here. Because he's out, I'm always scared that I'll go to sleep and never wake up."

"After three years that memory isn't gone?"

"Nope." Marinette replied with a sigh. "I'll never forget every night that he came home to me calling himself daddy and these lewd names that I didn't like. How he kept me on the floor and just...just used me. It wasn't fun."

"So are you going to find love again? Pursue it?"

"Um...I really don't know yet. I'm scared to do it, I'm scared that my love life will repeat itself. My trust for men is low, anything around men is low."

Adrien was quiet for a little bit before he growled. "Good."

"What?"

"It's good that you don't trust men."

"Uh...what are you trying to say?"

"Men can't be trusted. We're crafty little snakes who know how to destroy women, scare them off, degrade them, scar them."

"Oh...if you want me to date you then why are you saying this?"

"If you and I don't work out, just a future warning. Anyways, what happened after you left?"

"The modeling? Oh, I uh...you know, I was depressed for a little bit. I still technically am. It just isn't severe. I wanted to kill myself to rid myself of the memory. Sometimes I feel like it's the only solution. But I think how devastated it would make my friends and family, how they're there to talk to me. It's what stops me."

"That's good," Adrien said. "I can't say I was suicidal but I will say that I was depressed, having to do what my father wanted rather I. It was like he was using me to relive his life."

"So are things between you bad right now?"

"No. We can still talk without yelling at each other. He's happy I'd become an entrepreneur, and understanding that I divorced Chloe for a valid reason."

"If you and I are a package then how's he gonna react?"

"Negatively, maybe, extremely inquisitive, pushy..."

"What do you mean?"

"He'll want to know every detail about you."

"Every?"

"Yeah..."

"Okay then."

"You'd be okay with that?"

"No, I'd just tell him that A, we are both adults and can legally date one another, and B, he doesn't need to know my life story."

"Good luck then."

"Don't doubt me, Adrien, I've kicked Nathaniel where it really hurts very hard. I hope I broke something."

Adrien laughed a little bit. "You're coping with this by laughing at it?"

"It's better than nothing, wouldn't you agree?"

"Definitely." Adrien gave her a smile. "How's it going on Instagram then?"

"I go by an alias, so people really don't know that it's the girl who got abused and lost her job from that. I hate being pitied, just a general rule of knowing me."

"Noted." Adrien said. "May I know the alias?"

"I just told you so you might as well." Marinette said. "It's _lapunaise_."

"The spotted bug?" Adrien asked.

"Yep. The actual nickname is Coccinelle. And I'm trusting you to keep it a secret from anyone I don't know."

"Do you ever show your face? Wouldn't it be recognizable?"

"No, my Instagram usually just endorses products, reactions to things, meals, trips, whatever. If I take a full body I cover my face with a quincunx spotted circle."

"Oh...wow. That's pretty creative, _punaise_."

"Nah ah ah ah ah. Don't you dare."

Adrien pouted. "Why?"

"Do you want my identity to be revealed?"

"No..."

"Exactly. So call me anything that isn't insect related."

"Oh, what about ladybug in Italian?"

"You know Italian?"

"No. But you could tell me!"

"Try it first."

"_Coccinelli_?"

"Close. _Coccinella._ Italian won't work either, it's too close to French."

Adrien whined. "You're stubborn."

"You love it though."

"You're right, I do." Marinette kissed his cheek, surprising him. "But you can call me _macchiato_."

"Macchiato?! Like the drink?!"

"It's Italian for spotted."

"Am I gonna get looked at weirdly for that?"

"Macchie for short, that makes it less weird. But no, probably not. I'm sure somewhere in the world that has a couple who uses the nickname _minou_."

"Kitten?" Adrien asked. "Slightly lewd, but not as unique as _macchie_."

Marinette nodded. "I don't want to call you Adrien."

"My mother calls me mon _soleil."_ He said.

"Sun?"

"Yeah. Because I'm typically as bright as a sun."

Marinette studied his eyes before declaring "_Emeraude_."

"Emerald?"

"Your eyes! They're emerald green."

"No, they're summer grass green. But I see what you're getting at, _macchie_."

"You're difficult. Here,what about _il dio sole_?" She asked.

"What's that mean?"

"My sun in Italian." Marinette answered. "It's a little lengthy, but... I'm trying."

"I know, macchie."

"Are you gonna end every sentence with that?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, why, does it get under your skin?"

"A little bit. I don't mind you calling me it, just not too much. Okay?"

Adrien nodded.

They spent the next half hour conversing about "favorite this" and "least favorite that", "happiest this" and "most sad that", and trigger this and that.

Adrien brought Marinette home afterwards. She sent him a text when he told her he made it home safely.

_Uno caro. It means cherished one in Italian. I think it's perfect for you. I love you, you're very willing to listen to me and help me feel better. I cherish you, I see you as mi uno caro. What do you think?_

**I love it, macchie, that's very nice of you. ❤**

**Will you teach me Italian?**

_Sure! ^_^_

**Cute petit macchiato.**

_Cute little spotted? Try again, mi uno caro._

**Cute Petit macchie?**

_There you go._

**Where and when can I take you out?**

_I'm free anytime except holidays._

**Holidays such as?**

_Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Including Chinese New Year._

**Mm...I wanna take you to...**

_Don't tell me, surprise me! I love surprises! ^_^_

**Okay, but wear something nice. Like a dress.**

_Don't I always?_

**Yes macchie, you're gorgeous, beautiful eye candy from head to toe, but tight jeans and a shirt won't do it.**

_You want me to dress classy?_

**Yeah. Do you have anything?**

_Seven classy outfits. Do you want to pick for me?_

**I'll like whatever you choose. You look good in anything. Surprise me with your outfit, okay?**

_Sure. How's Tikki?_

**Resting.**

_Has she gotten a checkup on the puppies yet?_

**She will in two weeks. You and Plagg can come if you want.**

_Do she and Plagg need to be together?_

**Wdym?**

_They mated...so are they partners for life?_

**If they're seahorses then sure.**

_XD_

**But to be serious, then they're mates, yes. Tikki just has a protective instinct over the pups right now.**

_They're in her womb and she's already got those instincts?_

**Imagine an expect mother having been kidnapped and in a speeding car. What's the first thing she tries to protect?**

_Her unborn baby._

**Exactly. So yes, Tikki is extremely protective. She doesn't want her stomach touched and will probably bite you if you try it.**

_Thank you for telling me that. Would it be safe to have Plagg around her with how he behaves?_

**He's** **her mate, so she probably won't be too hostile with him. Maybe growling. But probably no biting.**

_I would be a bit mad if I were you. My own dog bites the one who cared for them. Ow. In both ways._

**I've wanted to punch my father before.**

_When?_

**I can't remember, but I know I wanted to before. Or why.**

_Your father sounds like an asshole, tbh, so that statement is vague._

**We could just introduce you to my mother.**

_No, I like insulting men!_

**You know how to do it I suppose.**

_I had an asshole husband, what do you think?_

**That he hasn't served enough time for what he's done?**

_That was rhetorical, il dio sole._

**OH**

**I HAVE AN IDEA!**

_Go for it...?_

**Every Wednesday, you and I meet up for an Italian lesson!**

_Oh! That sounds really good. I don't think I'd last a week without you._

**You were able to last from the park to today.**

_Yeah, that was before I confirmed you were trying to love me because I'm appealing to you via personality and looks, not pity because my husband hit me with a book and assaulted me to get me pregnant even though I obviously didn't want it._

**I see. Are you gonna text me every morning and night?**

_As long as I'm not doing something else._

**Even if I'm working?**

_Are you the CEO or the manager of your shop?_

**Manager and CEO.**

_Oh. So I found myself a businessman._

**Uh huh. I have a degree in entrepreneurship and dog psychology.**

_Who can work under you?_

**Anyone with a degree in dog psychology.**

_Why the degree?_

**You have to understand dogs and how their minds work to properly train them.**

_If I ask you to train Plagg then can you gimme a discount?_

**Macchie, you know I love you lots but not under the store. Personally yes, I can. But under the store? No, not legally. Unless I offer it to everyone for a limited time. But you can pay me with something other than money.**

_Kisses?_

**I'll take that. But no, I was thinking mini photoshoots.**

_They couldn't be posted to the internet unless we're official and ready to be known as a couple. Which we aren't just yet. Give it two more dates._

**You're basing off of the three date rule?**

_I twisted it!_

**BASING.**

_Yeah. I know it's three dates and bed, but that'd make you lovers rather a typical couple consummating the relationship._

**I wasn't planning to bring you to bed after just three dates.**

**Unless you had other ideas.**

_Like...?_

**Marriage first.**

_Oh. That. I only apply it to my first boyfriend ever. He already took my virginity, so personally I believe that with that gone there's no reason to wait for the usual. What about you?_

**I didn't marry all the girls I laid in lycée, macchie. I'm still trying to process that you're accepting of that.**

_There's a reason behind everything. With you and your father, it was a good reason. Like what Nathaniel did to me. I was a__lready pregnant so I was less willing to cooperate with him when he was sleeping with me, so he got bored and moved to Chloe._

**Did you get sick afterwards?**

_Well...I'd lost the baby afterwards so I was always sitting in the bathtub bleeding and cramping like hell. And yes, I got sick afterwards._

**Are you still...?**

_NO!_

**Yeesh. Aggressive macchie.**

_T_T_

**Not sorry.**

The two continued chatting for hours until Marinette left to take a shower and sleep after dinner. Adrien bid her farewell for the night.

Anytime they had was like that.

Until their next date.

_Honk! Honk!_

Marinette locked the door and met Adrien halfway. She hugged him tightly.

"_Mi uno caro_..." She sighed. "You smell good."

"I'm an adult. Contrary to popular beliefs, men know of the existence of cologne and hot, long showers."

Marinette laughed. "Men do. Boys don't. Young men, maybe."

"My father scolded me if I rushed a shower." Adrien admitted. "You look beautiful."

"You think so?"

"No, I know so."

Marinette smiled. She was wearing a tight, sleeveless red shirt underneath hip high leggings. Her hair was down.

"Thank you. I passed on the heels. The last time I wore them I fell off the stage."

"You did?" Adrien asked. "Did you get hurt?"

"Yeah, I broke my arm and my leg. Maman sued A.B. for causing me to get hurt."

"I can help you walk in heels if you wanna wear them. They're just painful. They aren't good for long walks."

"I know." Marinette agreed. "Where are we off to for dinner tonight? Will you tell me now?"

"No, you have to wait until I get there. Come on."

Marinette got into the car.

"The Eiffel Tower?!" Marinette yelped.

"Yep. I don't recall you telling me you ever ate here before."

"I haven't. It's so...quaint and professional and beautiful."

"It's sad a girl as beautiful as you hasn't been here before now, but I'm snagging the chance while I can. Do you drink anything?"

"Water."

"You never treat yourself?"

"No, I do. I usually drink some grape wine before bed."

"Without losing it?!"

"I know how to drink, Adrien. My tolerance was low before, though. What about you?"

"Chloe did something with alcohol that proved me lightweight. It got me drunk. That's how I got into her pants, she drugged me. So I just don't drink anymore. I find it dangerous and scary."

"I don't believe you told me about you and her yet."

"We met in collège. She grabbed a book, I grabbed that book, blah blah...later on she grabbed a fashion book, then a flirting book, and then our parents forced us together to learn about fashion. My father forced us together because she liked fashion and was a suitable Mrs. Agreste."

"Oh...so would I be suitable?"

"For me? Of course, on my terms. On my father's, I don't know. But this is you and I, not you and me under my father."

"That's reassuring, I suppose...what was life like with Chloe?"

"After she'd drugged me, I was a little mad about it, so I drank for a while. I quit that before I started Paws, but then I turned to smoking. When I divorced Chloe and recovered from it, I just stopped completely."

"How long did it take you to recover?"

"Not long." Adrien answered.

"Do you still have the urge?"

"No...I wear a patch that prevents that."

"Like birth control...but for smoking?"

"Yeah."

"When did you start wearing the patch?"

"After the public found out about our divorce. I don't want them finding out about this, the alcohol and nicotine."

"That's understandable."

"What do you mean?"

"I drank every night with Nathaniel."

"But not because you were pissed off."

"No, it wasn't a couple's thing. It was a way of waving off the annoyance so that I could sleep."

"Didn't the nights make you tired?"

"That's for men. But no, not me. I was up fuming. Or sore."

"Sore?"

"Big versus tiny, who do you think wins? I was having contractions lots, it was messy."

"Really?"

Marinette blushed and nodded.

"So you're very easy to excite."

"Yeah." Marinette admitted. "Take good advantage of that. It won't last long."

"I will, but never of you."

Marinette resisted the urge to kiss him. "Thank you, _mi uno caro_."

The next morning, Adrien was ready to ask Marinette on the third date. Right now, their dates were every other Sunday, so they were dating for almost a month.

**Next date, wear something lose that you can move around comfortably in. No heels or wedges.**

_Amusement park?_

**You know I won't tell you, macchie. I'm all for surprises.**

Their next date, Marinette wore a white dress with pink dots on it and a light blue shrug jacket, with red flats.

Adrien had to pinch himself to prevent his jeans from strangling his waist. The dress was short, he could see her legs. He was going to die.

"You okay?" Marinette asked.

Adrien momentarily snapped out of it.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine! The dress just took me aback a little bit."

"Oh. It is a little...what's the word...attracting to men, right?"

"Yes." Adrien took his jacket off and tied it around his waist. Marinette covered her mouth and snickered.

"That wasn't even a minute and you're already bulging through."

"Can you really blame me? I'm weak for your body."

Marinette giggled. "I'm sorry. Do you want me to go change?"

"No, unless you don't know how to drive."

"I know how to drive."

"The driver's seat's all yours then."

Adrien took the passengers seat and entered the GPS for her.

"The cavern?" Marinette asked

"It's a nightclub." Adrien answered.

"With...alcohol? I thought you didn't want that anymore!"

"I don't want any tonight. I need to be sober to get you home safely."

"Don't lemme get wasted."

"Have you ever been drunk before?"

"Yes, one small glass is my limit. And since we're going to a nightclub, which is likely gonna be filled with men..."

Marinette reached into her purse and grabbed some makeup. She put fake hickeys on her thighs and neck.

"What's that for?" Adrien asked.

"Trying to fend off men."

"If anything that's just going to attract them."

"How? Don't hickeys usually declare ownership in relationships?"

"Yes, they usually do, and men typically don't want to agree to that, so they try to get you. Are you sure you wanna do this? This is a nightclub filled with men. I don't want to be the reason you relive Nathaniel."

"I have a pocket knife and pepper spray in my bag, as well as a foot that will willingly break anybody's crotch if need be."

"You are aware that you're hurting...well...uh..._those_...rather the actual...y'know, right?"

"Yeah..." Marinette said. "I know how to fight people off, Adrien. But I appreciate you coming in to protect me."

"I'll probably follow you the whole night."

"I don't want any dance partner but you," Marinette said with a smile.

"Do you think they'll recognize us?"

Marinette shook her head. "Even though I'm a model, I wouldn't commonly be found around here."

"I wouldn't either, but just in case, I put contact lenses in."

"You wear contacts?!"

"Yeah. They're typically clear, but I chose gray for a disguise color." Adrien pulled his hair back and tied it up. "Would you recognize me?"

Marinette blinked for a second before reaching for his hood and pulling it over his head.

"Nope."

"Then shall we dance, beautiful?"

"Can I show you the sexy side of it?"

"You're ready for that?"

"I trust you." Marinette said.

"Alright, fine. But don't touch your wine now."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Someone might spike it."

"Oh."

"Come on, then, macchie."

Adrien pulled Marinette to the dance floor.

"What do you have in store for me?"

"Do you know how to grind?"

* * *

"Was that fun?" Adrien asked.

Marinette yawned. "Tiring. We danced so long."

"Yeah. At least they have coffee to offer. So we can get home safely."

She nodded. "Was I good?"

Adrien smiled. "Very."

He pulled out a rectangular box and presented it to Marinette, who opened it to see a real, golden necklace with a pinky promise on it and a square with her initial written on it.

She gasped in awe.

"Marinette," Adrien started. "I think that tonight definitely proved that you and I aren't gonna cut it dating like this. So I'm giving you this necklace. It's a promise that I'm always gonna love you, that I'll never hurt you on purpose. It may seem early on for this, but I was uh...wondering if you were interested in more of a long term relationship with me."

Marinette's eyes watered. Tears spilled out of her eyes. Quickly, she set the necklace down and hugged him tightly. "Yes," she whispered. "I'll be your girlfriend. I'll be your long term girlfriend.

Adrien grabbed her chin and kissed her. She quietly accepted it with a moan, then shut her eyes and rubbed her nose against him.

"It's almost as if you and I were Plagg and Tikki. We sort of just mated."

"Yeah, somewhat...when would we tell your parents? And friends? And most of all, the press? And mine?"

"We'll start with your parents, then our friends, then my parents. First Papa."

"You gonna go to Italy for Christmas?"

"I always sort of do, but then again, Tikki will have had her puppies by then."

"Yeah, but she can care for them. She has milk and food for the puppies."

"I wanted to bring you with me to Italy to meet Papa and one of my friends. Then to New York to see the ball drop where my friends live. Then to China for the Lunar New Year and Valentine's day."

"You're quite adventurous, aren't you?"

"_Si, si_." Marinette agreed. "Is your place closer?"

"Yeah...why."

"Can we crash there?"

"Marinette, _macchie_, stop trying to rush."

"I'm not, I just don't wanna crash...if your place is closer then we can stay there until we both rest. You can take me home after that."

"Okay," Adrien gave in.

The two were so tired, that they found the nearest, most warm, soft surface, and fell asleep on it. As a happy couple would.


	5. Chapter Four

Today was the day.

Rather evening.

After a few weeks, the first people to tell would be Adrien's parents. Adrien, obviously knowing his own parents, knew that the best way to tell them was over dinner.

"Is this formal enough but not too showy where it'll kill you?" Marinette asked. She was wearing a gray, long sleeved shirt with white flowers on it, a short, red pencil skirt that went down past the middle of her thighs, and black leggings.

"Formal, yes. Showy, yes. But the leggings sort of can it."

Marinette could tell that he was slightly bothered by the loss of access.

"Don't worry, amor. We can make out after dinner if you need it."

Adrien groaned. "The fact that I need it makes me feel like my hormones have me on a leash."

"When was the last time you felt strongly like this?"

"Lycée."

"And what did you do to quench that?"

"You already know half of it. Are you really sure that you want to know?"

"No," Marinette said quickly. "Keep it to yourself. New subject...what exactly did you tell your parents?"

"I said that there was someone I wanted them to meet over dinner, and that was that."

"Oh...what questions do you think he'll ask me?"

"I don't really know, macchie, I've never brought a girl home before."

"Have you?"

"No, I actually haven't."

"What about lycée?"

"Not even then."

"Oh..."

Marinette slipped her shoes on.

"How are Tikki and the puppies?"

Adrien smiled. "Good so far."

Not too long after their third date, Tikki gave birth to the puppies. She had five in total. One of them was a runt that Marinette fell in love with.

The car ride was spent in some silence. Marinette didn't have much she wanted to talk about and Adrien didn't know what to talk about.

Some time later, the two arrived at a mansion that blew Marinette away.

"You grew up here?" She asked.

"Yeah. My father made lots of money as a fashion designer. Come on." He offered his hand to Marinette, who smiled and took it.

"I don't see a keyhole. How are you supposed to get in?"

Adrien turned and kissed his girlfriend to hush her. "You have a whole bucket of questions, don't you?"

She smiled and nodded.

"What will I do with you?"

"Love me."

Adrien pecked her lips. "I promise to do that. Now, to answer your question, I had a special card that opened the gates. But now I just have to match up my fingerprints."

"Your fingerprints? Like a cell phone."

"Yeah."

"That's creative." Marinette said. She jumped as the gates loudly receded into the walls.

"Come on."

She followed him to the doors of the mansion.

"Is there some complicated process to this, too?"

"No, not really. Is a key complicated?" He asked.

"No, of course not!"

"Exactly my point." He opened the doors. "After the lady."

Marinette giggled. "I don't know my way around here."

"I know that. I'll lead the way."

[They Started It is property of Thorne Rosewood.]

The first person Marinette saw was a man even taller than Adrien with blonde hair and blue eyes. His frown scared her. She nervously backed up.

"Uh...h-hello." She stammered.

"Hello, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng." Gabriel said. Marinette was surprised.

"You know who I am?"

"My son's ex-wife ran the company that you used to model for. You were their best model."

Marinette smiled a little bit.

"Adrien, who is this lady to you?"

"My girlfriend, father. She's my girlfriend." Adrien said. Marinette nervously thumbed over her necklace. Adrien caught her and rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand assuringly.

"Is that so?" Gabriel asked. "Since when, exactly?"

"September eighth." Marinette answered.

"Oh, just two months?"

"No, four. We were dating for two months, and we've been in a relationship for the last two."

"Hm." Gabriel hummed. "You two seem mortified. Did something happen?"

Marinette was honest.

"Adrien told me that you married him to Chloe because she had knowledge in fashion, something that Adrien had and still does have. I may be a model— well, used to be—but I don't know a lot about fashion design and manufacturing clothing and accessories. And I just feel like you might not be accepting of me being his girlfriend because of that. I have a rough history."

"We all do, M. Dupain-Cheng. Having a history isn't something to be ashamed about, it's what shapes you into who you are."

"Is that where you get that sweet talk from?" Marinette asked Adrien, who chuckled and nodded.

"If I can ask...how come you wanted Adrien to marry someone with high social class?" She asked Gabriel.

"Before Emilie harnessed me after Adrien and Chloe divorced, all I cared for was giving the next title of Mrs. Agreste to someone with a good background and the same education with Adrien, as well as a past. Adrien and Chloe have known each other for a long time. I thought that marriage was perfect for them."

"What do you mean by Emilie harnessing you?"

"When I divorced Chloe she got mad and put on a show to try and bring us back together," Adrien started. "Her parents came to mine and took it out on them, and Mom was stressed and annoyed, so she told my father that he deserved it for marrying friends, not actual lovers."

"Oh..." Marinette said. "Has Chloe ever tried to bring you two back together?"

"No, it's been silent from her on that topic." Adrien admitted. "She keeps trying to rub it into my face that she's met someone new and they're doing so much better than I. I don't really care. I never truly loved her."

"Met someone new? Do you know who?"

"Er...Adrien, should I really say?" Gabriel asked.

"Just tell me," Marinette urged.

"She's with your ex husband right now." Gabriel said. He expected her to cry, but she simply raised an eyebrow. "That isn't hurting you?"

"He's done much worse to me." Marinette said. "Cheating isn't something I'm hurt by. If he hadn't...you know, forced me in our marriage and cheated instead, I think I would have just laughed."

"Just laughed?" Gabriel asked. "You're interesting, Marinette. I can see why Adrien is with you."

"Why laughed, though?" Adrien asked.

"Because he just blew every chance he had with a girl who doesn't hand over her heart easily. That serves as a warning to you, Agreste."

"I'd never." Adrien promised her.

"Adrien! You're here!" A woman with blonde hair and green eyes hugged her son, who laughed a bit at the enthusiasm his mother always had. His mother turned to Marinette. "And you in be the company he speaks of. This is quite a surprise."

"You—Adrien looks so much like you." Marinette pointed out.

"It isn't the first time we've heard that. As soon as his eyes turned green and his hair got longer, that started flooding in. I'm Emilie."

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Adrien's girlfriend."

"Girlfriend? Adrien, you never told me there was another lady in the picture."

"I'm telling you now." Adrien said.

"Don't blow it with her. She plays hard to get, I hear."

"She does, or she used to?" Adrien asked. "She willingly gave her heart to me."

"I up to be like that. I had to have my guard up. Something I sort of failed to do with Nathaniel."

"Nathaniel?" Emilie asked. "Your ex husband?"

"Yeah...how'd you know that?"

"We are the parents of the person who was partially responsible for landing him in jail for what he's done to you." Gabriel admitted.

"Did you get money for that?" Marinette asked.

Adrien shook his head. "Having you here with me is a good enough prize."

Marinette smiled at him.

"I prepared dinner. I hope you aren't allergic to gluten."

Marinette's face lit up. "Bread of some sorts?"

"Pasta and garlic bread."

Marinette squealed in excitement.

Emilie laughed and brought her to the dining room. Gabriel was left puzzled.

"Marinette is half Italian. She spends lots of time eating pasta or rice."

"Oh. I didn't know that. Where'd she grow up?"

Adrien smirked a little bit and started to the dining room. "You ask her. I'm her boyfriend, not her secretary."

[They Started It is property of Thorne Rosewood.]

"So, Marinette, where'd you grow up at? Adrien told me that you're half Italian and..." Gabriel asked.

"Half Chinese." Marinette answered. "Despite being both of those, I lived in Italy for six years and Paris for the rest. But I've gone to China for the Lunar New Year."

"What was life like in Italy?" Emilie asked.

"My father ran a pizza shop. He still does."

"All by himself?"

"Yeah. I helped him as soon as I could stand and process directions."

"Was it homemade?"

"Let's see. I milked the cows, made the tomato sauce, the dough, the spices, and the toppings. Is that a sufficient answer?" Marinette asked.

"Very," Gabriel said. "Did your father also own a farm?"

"No, my grandfather did."

"Will you take me one day?" Adrien asked.

"I'm taking you to Italy for Christmas, amor. It snows in Italy, we'll be lucky if we can see the animals."

Adrien pouted a little bit.

"How come you lived in Italy for just six years?" Emilie asked.

Marinette sighed. "My father was my mother's first...bed partner. Out of that came me. Granted, she was only sixteen, so she gave me to him until she finished university. I met my mother when I was six, she learned that I loved the idea of dressing up and being in front of Adrien, and tossed me into modeling."

"So your parents...are they together?"

"Ah...no." Marinette answered.

"How did your mother feel when you quit modeling? Was she mad?"

"No. Not at me, at least. She had lots to say to Chloe's mother for instituting that rule, though. And Nathaniel."

"Nathaniel? What did he have to do with it?"

Marinette looked at Adrien.

"You want them to know?" Adrien asked her.

"As long as it stays here for the time being." Marinette answered.

"Alright...I guess I'm explaining?"

"I struggled last time with you. I don't want to be a mess in front of your parents."

"Okay, okay, I hear you." Adrien said. "To clarify, Marinette didn't quit her modeling career. She was fired from it."

"Fired?!" Emilie yelped. "How could they do that? She was the face of A.B.!"

"Their rules." Adrien said. "Marinette was getting sick and weaker. She missed a lot of work and..."

"Adrien, you don't have to dance around the subject. Just tell them." Marinette said.

"Marinette lost her job because Nathaniel was taking advantage of her." He explained. "It was taxing on her mind and body. Then she got pregnant and that didn't help."

"Nathaniel having taken advantage of her? He couldn't have. They were married." Gabriel said.

"He did," Marinette said. "He wanted a baby but I didn't. I wasn't interested in motherhood. I was also scared of being pregnant and taking care of a baby. He refused to let go of the situation. I remember the day I found out I was pregnant. I got so mad at him. Even though I knew it was going to affect me later, make me feel guilty, I took birth control while I was pregnant that ended up ending the pregnancy. When he saw me bleeding, I lied and told him that it was a pregnancy symptom. He saw me again some time later, rendered it not normal, and forced it out of me that I'd intentionally killed my baby. He was mad at that and tried to rape me as punishment for refusing to be pregnant or sleep with him. I fought him off at first, but he hit me in the head with a book and raped me when I was unconscious. That didn't get me pregnant, but some tries later I didn't need a pregnancy test to know that I was carrying my rapist's child."

"Did you ever tell him?" Gabriel asked.

"Yeah. He was excited about it. Despite being sick and getting a low libidos in return, he still raped me. Eventually he got bored with my low libidos and went to Chloe. I ran away to Papa and told him. I remember that day. I was scared that I was going to die, that I would be the one responsible for my friends and family's deaths. He'd told me that he'd kill whoever knew and then me. Thankfully, Adrien found him and he spent a year in jail."

"Just a year?" Emilie asked. "For what he's done to you? That's something that a woman might not ever forget. He deserves longer. I'm assuming that now he's just roaming Paris freely?"

"Yeah." Marinette said.

"So do you have a child now?" Gabriel asked.

"No. I miscarried after he was imprisoned. I was crying, I wasn't hungry...my health severely detered and the baby couldn't keep up."

"I'm so sorry that happened," Emilie said.

Marinette shrugged it off. "It's been a few years. The wound isn't fresh but it still exists. Adrien's helping me. I feel safe with him. He promised me that he'd never hurt me on purpose."

"That's great," Gabriel said.

"He's a gentleman, despite that rind of silliness."

"I'm not silly, I'm...witty." Adrien contradicted.

"Oh, stop it. You are so silly. It's something I love."

"So do you...do you still model? Did you find somewhere new?" Gabriel asked.

"Social media. But not by my given name. I go by Coccinelle on there. So that people don't see the true person who was assaulted by her own husband over not wanting a baby."

"Does it get you money?"

"Yeah." Marinette answered.

"Are you ever going to reenter the modeling world?" Gabriel asked.

"I don't know. I haven't really decided. Modeling requires you to have a specific body. Sometimes you get in trouble for gaining weight. Or losing it. I don't know if I'd like to relive that."

"Well, M. Dupain-Cheng, your boyfriend's father does own a fashion company that you may model for—"

"_Father_," Adrien scolded gently.

"If you would like. The decision is yours, I'm not forcing you."

Adrien groaned in displeasure and annoyance.

"Relax, Adrien." Marinette comforted him. "He said that it's my decision. I don't have to if I don't want to."

"I know, I just...I don't want it to be too much on you."

"I know what I'd be going into." She told him. "Thank you for the offer, sir. I'll definitely consider it."

"So how did you two...well, how did this start?"

"Adrien caught my dog." Marinette started. "He recognized me, and we were talking while my dog and his got away and mated. He took me on a date, I basically told him everything, then he took me on another, told me everything, then another where he asked me to be his girlfriend commitedly and gave me this necklace that promised me that he'd never hurt me on purpose."

"The dogs mated...did your dog get pregnant, Adrien?"

"Yeah, she's already had her puppies. They're almost ready to be sold."

"How much are they going to be?"

"Well...not exactly sold. Maybe sent to a shelter or set for adoption. I don't think puppies need money to get a good home."

"Good mindset," Emilie said.

"Marinette is in love with the runt." Adrien pointed out.

"Yeah...I don't want her to be adopted, I want to keep her."

Adrien smiled a little bit but kept silent.

"So if you and Adrien marry...will you have kids?"

Adrien choked on a piece of a meatball. "_Mother_."

"Relax, Adrien. I don't mind." Marinette said. "Maybe when we're engaged we'll talk kids."

"You wanna marry me?" Adrien asked.

"Yes, just not now. That's what relationships are for."

"Do you want kids now, Marinette?" Gabriel asked.

"Honestly, I'm unsure. Not once have I taken care of a baby or given birth. I think I'm just a little bit scared. The second time I was pregnant, it was a little exciting. So maybe, maybe not."

"Pregnancy is a wonderful thing." Emilie said. "Lots of women survive birth. And being sick is part of being pregnant. The best thing is that now you can see yourself as incredible. You suffered for nine months to create another human being—and pushed it out. Men always want to whine, but they just forget that their wives are responsible for having their babies."

Marinette giggled. "One thing I'll definitely agree on."

"Are you doing anything for Adrien's birthday?" Gabriel asked Marinette.

"Yeah. But it's a surprise."

Adrien quietly cursed, displeased.

"Oh, can it, amor. You've spent the last four months surprising me. It's only fair I do the same."

"I will top you in the surprise game." He said. "Men are always good at surprises."

"We'll see, mi uno caro. We'll see."

For his twenty-fifth birthday, Marinette gave Adrien a list.

It was titled "25 Reasons Why You Are Mi Uno Caro."

The reasons plastered a warm smile on his face. The night ended in a make out in the car, in front of Marinette's house.

Next came Christmastime. AKA, the time where Marinette would be taking Adrien to Italy for him to meet Tom and Lila. Adrien was excited for the trip to Italy. He bugged Marinette with so many questions that she couldn't even count them. She was happy to be off the plane.

"Macchie?"

Marinette sighed and looked at him.

"I know you've been teaching me some Italian already, but I don't think I'd really understand everything here."

"I know. I'll be your translator."

"Does your father speak French?"

"Yep. He's trilingual."

"What languages?"

"Italian, French, and Mandarin."

"Do you...?"

"No, I'm quadlingual. I know Italian, French, English, and Chinese. What about you, sir ask a lot?"

"I know quite a bit of languages, macchie. My father wanted me to learn many in case I became a fashion designer. I actually enjoyed learning them. I know French, Mandarin, English, German, Polish, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish."

"Wow...maybe you can teach me sometime." Marinette said, pecking his lips.

"You already know three of them."

"I don't know five of them, though."

"I'll teach you them." Adrien promised with a smile.

The ride from the airport to Marinette's father's house wasn't very long. They arrived in a beautiful city on the coast.

"Your childhood here must have been fun." He said.

"Well yeah. There were beaches and Lila. Then my mom took me for modeling. But it is nice here."

She knocked on her father's door. The door opened to reveal a tall, muscular man with brown hair and a mustache that were only beginning to gray.

"La mia bambina!" The man said, hugging her daughter. Adrien glanced at Marinette. Sure, she was teaching him Italian, but what did that mean?

"Papa, this is Adrien." Marinette said, gesturing to him. "The one who called the police to get Nathaniel when he found him in his home with Chloe, his then wife."

"Oh! You," Tom said. "I owe you my thanks, young man."

"You're welcome," Adrien said.

"But he isn't just...a friend. Or my hero. Papa, he's my boyfriend now."

That caught him off guard.

"Come in. Sit. Tell me everything."

Adrien looked at Marinette nervously, who smiled and nodded. She mouthed to him that it'd be okay and went before him.

"How did this happen?" Tom asked.

"Uh...the dog park. The dogs. They started it. They uh...Plagg got loose and Adrien caught him. We sort recognized each other and started talking, and while we were doing that the dogs were mating. He started taking me out on dates, and now we're in a relationship."

"Hmm. What is your history, Adrien?"

"History?"

"Past relationships, jobs..."

"Oh. I was with a friend of mine by arrangement of our parents. Other than that, no. Marinette is the first girl—lady—I'm truly in love with."

"What do you work as?"

"Manager, CEO, dog training." He said.

"And what are you intending to do with my daughter?"

Adrien smiled. "Trying to help her recover from the damage that her ex husband left. And marry her."

Marinette squeaked in surprise. "M-marry me!?"

"That's what relationships are, macchie. But yes, marry you."

She sighed contently.

"How long has this been going on?" Tom asked.

"Since June," Adrien said.

"Ah...I see. And you're only telling me now?"

"Sorry!" Marinette exclaimed. "We just uh...you know...needed time?"

"No problem, sweetie. Adrien, if you dare hurt Marinette close to what Nathaniel did, so help me, I will-"

"Papa," Marinette said. "Adrien promised to never hurt me."

"Nathaniel promised not to hurt you. But you two are separated now because of what he's done to you."

"He can't hurt a fly." Marinette said. "I know Nathaniel has scarred me. But give Adrien a chance. I know my boyfriend. I know he won't purposely hurt me."

Tom relaxed. "Alright...fine."

Marinette's father was still slightly cold to Adrien, but slowly warmed up to him.

"Is he usually like this?" Adrien asked the first night that they spent in Tortoreto. They were cuddling in bed, trying to keep warm.

"What, chilly? No. With what happened with Nathaniel, he doesn't easily trust men around me. It's just a precaution. Just like how I used to play hard to get. Just a precaution."

"That's good," Adrien told her. "Have you ever been to New York? Times Square?"

Marinette shook her head. "No. I haven't. And before you say on the catwalk, no, I haven't been on a New York catwalk."

"You know me too well."

She smirked. "It's a necessary tool for every relationship."

"So your friend Alya...she's a reporter."

"Yep!" Marinette exclaimed. "It was really hard for her to get off to see the ball drop without a microphone in her hand."

"Same for Nino," Adrien said. "Hey...should we set them up?"

"Hm. A reporter and a DJ. Weird pairing, but I'm sure that we can construct something."

"In a few weeks?"

"We'll figure it out."

And a few weeks later, when their friends arrived to the ball waiting to drop, they were hand in hand.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" Nino exclaimed. "I know you. You were the face of A.B. Models just a few years ago!"

Marinette smiled and nodded. "And you're the fun Nino that Adrien speaks of. Also, presumably the man that Alya squeals about."

Adrien snickered as he remembered who exactly was responsible for it.

"So you're the guy who's won my girl's heart." Alya said, eyeing Adrien. "She's already been hurt once, Agreste. Hurt her again and I treat you worse than yours and Nathaniel's damage combined."

It sent shivers down his back. "Ugh...noted."

"Relax, Als. On our third date, Adrien promised not to hurt me on purpose. I trust him."

"Mm hm." Alya hummed.

"It's crazy how much has happened since June," Marinette told Adrien the first night of the new year. "You've rocked my world."

Adrien smiled. "In a good way?"

She nodded.

"Honestly, I was scared. Nathaniel has left a mark on me. I can't see men the same. But you're just so...imperfectly perfect that I see you as my most cherished one."

"Imperfectly perfect. I like it."

Marinette giggled. "Can we make it to September?"

He grinned. "You know it, uno macchiato."

Next up: The lunar new year.

Marinette was excited for that one.

Adrien hadn't any idea why until they'd booked a hotel room and she came out the bathroom.

"You...you tease." He growled, pulling her close.

She only looked up at him with a smirk. "What?" She asked teasingly. "Can't handle this?"

Adrien kissed her passionately. "Is that a satisfactory answer?"

"To me, yes. But to you? I don't know. A kiss is never enough to quench your needs when it comes to me."

She slipped her shoes on and walked away.

Adrien groaned. He calmed himself down and followed her.

"How do you think your mother will react to us?"

Marinette shrugged. "When I talked about Nath, she just wondered about social class and all. Nothing really important. Even if she doesn't like you, she should be able to tolerate you."

Adrien smiled. "I suppose that's a relief."

"It is. Maybe say something about your father's fashion company. That oughta bribe her to like you."

"Why mention that?"

"Because it has modeling that I'm thinking of doing."

"You want to get back into that!?"

"I like being in front of a camera. Getting money for it is nice."

"What about your other thing?"

"Instagram? I was actually...I'll...I'll tell you later." She said quietly.

Sabine was just as Marinette predicted. She grew warm towards Adrien when he mentioned that his father had a fashion company that Marinette could model in."

The couple was happy to return to France.

"No more traveling for some time, would you agree?" Marinette asked.

"I would, Mari. But can we talk about you modeling again?"

Marinette closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Yes."

* * *

La mia bambina = my little girl in Italian.

Tortoreto is a city in Italy.

And apparenntly edit means italicize two words for this chapter, haha. I'll be back with Chapter Five later.

-Thorne


	6. Chapter Five

"So?"

"I want to model for Gabriel." She simply told him.

"Why?"

"To me, it's fun."

"Having to exercise and diet when your body is naturally healthy? That's overexertion. I don't want you to land in the hospital for your job."

Marinette sighed. "That's just a risk of modeling. Besides, he said that I'm allowed to take off if I need to. He'd rather me be home, resting, than in the hospital on fluids. And you do realize that my lifestyle has been like this for as long as I can remember, right? I know how my body works. And I'm not gonna diet exhaustively. Just low carbs."

"I...I guess." Adrien said quietly.

"What's wrong?"

He shrugged. "I just forgot that we're adults with jobs and responsibilities."

"With you working all the time?"

"Okay, that you were."

"It's pretty easy to do that," Marinette reminded him. "You haven't let work get in our way, and I won't either."

"Right...speaking of which, call me possessive, but do you...model with other men?"

Her face flushed. "No! Of course not! I was a celebrity, I couldn't have men take advantage of our jobs to find love with me!"

"What if men don't know and try and approach you?"

"What, about us?" Marinette asked. "Well, we could use the marking strategy but couldn't. Which brings me to my bed subject: my Instagram. When I launched it, I was wearing a mask. But with Gabriel and you and I, I'm thinking that maybe it's time to take it off."

"Take it off...you mean reveal your identity?"

Marinette nodded.

"And us."

"And us?"

"So that men don't come after me."

"If revealing your identity is really what you want, then I guess you should go for it! But you do realize that you'll get what you don't want, right?"

"Sympathy from my last marriage? A.B. getting backlash? Curious followers? Hungry paparazzi and talk shows? Yes. I don't want that, but sometimes life gives you what you don't want. It's a part of it."

Like mine and Chloe's marriage. Adrien thought. He nodded in agreement.

"You're supportive of my decisions, right Adrien?"

He had to think about that.

Marinette was Marinette.

He couldn't change her. He didn't want to. He loved her for her.

It was okay to not support her decisions. He knew her as she knew him. No two people agreed on every single thing.

He couldn't use the "if it makes you happy" line. That'd make her feel like she was forcing him to support what she wanted to do.

As long as she was unharmed, then he'd toss all of his support her way.

"Marinette, I love you and I care about you. I don't want to tell you that I support you if it keeps you happy or distracted from the past, because that makes both of us feel like we're pushing the other into an agreement. So...as long as you come home from the cameras unharmed, I'm going to support this. Besides, I like seeing you happy. And it's a distraction from...him."

"You've been the distraction since, Adrien, but I see your point. Thank you..."

She wrapped her arms around him. Sincere love wrapped around them and choked everything out of them. Everything but sincerity. It filled the both of them to the brim, reaching into every nook and cranny.

"You're the very best boyfriend I could ever ask for."

Adrien's eyes almost welled up. "And you're the best girlfriend I've ever had."

Marinette giggled. "Not to mention the only true one."

"Hey!"

[Thorne Rosewood; They Started It]

Chime!

Bing!

Ding!

Millions of phones went off all over the world as lapunaise posted.

As many people as they could whipped their devices out and selected the notification. They were brought to the post of their bug star sitting on a carpeted floor, her eyes closed, showing off her naturally long eyelashes, with her hair in two buns, her torso mostly covered with a red crop top, and her legs hugged by sky blue jeggings.

For once, there wasn't a ladybug covering her face!

Everyone did a double take. They started to read the caption.

The usual, happy go lucky, healthy girl that you visualize behind these posts is the same girl who was assaulted and cheated on by her own husband, the one with tons of permanent scars all over her. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the former face of A.B. Models. Change has become my best friend as I've found love again, but just only met TRUE love. It's definitely done a number on me. But unlike last time, a good number. I'm going to reenter the modeling world again, to a hopefully genuine fashion job who truly cares about their models, unlike a.b._salutelymodels, who laid me off because I wasn't their perfect little puppet. I've reentered the romance world. Meeting my true love for the actual first time has helped me feel better again. It's given me the laughs, the shoulders, the care that not just me, but every woman deserves. It's given me the push to get back on my feet again. To aagreste, I send you an infinite number of trucks full of gratitude. I couldn't have done this without you.

The caption ended there.

Some eyes skimmed over the paragraph repeatedly.

Others dropped their phone and screamed or ran out to their friends and siblings with the news.

Fingers flew at the most rapid speed that they could on their screens, posting the comments.

If the like button was sold in stores, then the shelves were clear.

[They Started It; Thorne Rosewood]

Adrien leaned over his girlfriend's shoulder as she watched the comments flood in. The reactions, the likes.

"Wow. Is this your most popular post?"

"Compared to my others? Definitely. Maybe it'll be the most popular on the app. But I won't get ahead of myself."

"You are one of the popular Instagram accounts. I don't know if that'd be getting ahead of yourself."

"Whether it is or not, money and fame change people. They overlook their problems and expect to be the greatest. I don't overlook my problems or expect to be the top on everything."

Adrien smirked. "Here?" He asked, pointing to her cell phone. "Or there?" He pointed towards the bedroom.

Marinette squeaked like a mouse.

She grabbed a pillow, and threw it at Adrien. He yelped. It was a hard throw.

"Damn, you can throw."

"Not now, you minou. Not. Now."

Minou?!

"Oh yes. Yes, now."

"Do not make me destroy your chances of reproducing."

He backed off. The smirk leapt off of his face and was replaced with a pout.

"That's what I thought."

That night, Marinette's phone chimed. A notification from Instagram popped up.

It was a DM.

spottedcupofladytea: Hello, Marinette, this is Rose Lavillant, the social media manager of The Lady Blog! If you wouldn't mind, we'd love to have you on our show soon to elaborate on your life after you left A.B. Models!

Her eyes widened.

An interview!

She should have known this was coming.

She called Adrien. The line trilled for a few seconds before he answered.

"Macchie, some people don't stay up until midnight. But what's up? Did something happen?"

"The Lady Blog wants me for an interview." She said. "Does that count as something that happened?"

She heard a crash and a thump.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, it just caught me off guard so I fell out of bed."

"I'm sorry. Want me to kiss you better?"

"I sustained no injury. But I'll take the kisses!"

"Mwah. Virtual kisses."

Adrien laughed.

"Are you gonna do it?"

"The interview? I don't know. Should I?"

"Will you be able to describe everything that happened easily?"

"I was able to with you. There shouldn't be much struggle here."

"Then do it."

[They Started It; Thorne Rosewood]

"You ready?" Adrien asked her a few days later.

She smiled and nodded. "Don't worry about me, Adrien. I've been on TV before."

"I'm not worrying. I'm sure that you know what you're doing."

"Exactly...but do you think I look nice?"

"I don't think you look nice. I know you look nice. Now go on. Time never stops."

She gently pecked his lips. He sat down from the backstage and watched from the TV in there.

The sounds of fans cheering wasn't anything new to Marinette.

But it'd certainly been some time since the sound was one with her ears.

She put on a real smile and waved at everyone while she walked to her seat.

"Hello, Marinette! It's very nice to have you here today!" Rose started the conversation.

"I'm happy to be here," Marinette told Rose and Mylene.

"Let's get started with our questions that have been asked by many fans. First question is how come A.B. Models released you." Rose said.

Marinette took a deep breath.

She'd told Adrien, and she could tell them. It couldn't be used against her.

"A.B. Models got rid of me because I wasn't meeting their criteria after my first marriage started deteriorating and causing problems with both my mental and physical health."

"A.B. Models criteria. I think I may be able to understand the physical health part. But what did the mental health have to do with it? What was the criteria for an A.B. Model?"

"The criteria didn't take into account that humans could get sick sometimes or needed rest. It was a rather difficult job. You had to diet no matter your weight. Stay petite, but curvy, and proper body proportions. It discriminated any other body proportions. It still does, and maybe it always will. You also couldn't take off or b sick. If you even missed a day, you were fired. And finally, you couldn't get pregnant. There are changes that happen to your immune system and your body that they don't approve of."

The audience gasped in disappointment and shame.

"And according to them, you couldn't meet that criteria."

"Right."

"You've been modeling ever since you were just six years old...what was with the downfall?"

"My ex-husband was set on having a baby. I was extremely doubtful of myself being a mother and scared to go through the whole reproduction process, so I told him that I didn't, and that's what sparked the whole mess. Our so called relationship was fake and toxic. We never argued like a truly healthy couple should. It was just date, cuddle, and sleep together. So we were lovers, despite the marriage documents marking that we were husband and wife."

"I see. What did he do after you told him the you didn't want a baby? How did he feel?"

"Angry. I told him that it was my body and he couldn't force me to have his babies. Then he sort of forced it. We kept sleeping together at night, yes, but once he'd sabotaged the contraceptives that we had and I wound up pregnant."

"How did you feel when you found out?"

"I was angry that he'd impregnated me, a little confused, and a litte bit hurt. I remember screaming at him how horrible he was and calling him all these names. We stopped sleeping together after that. And I ended the pregnancy with birth control. He saw me bleeding and I told him that it was from the pregnancy, but eventually he got me to fess up that I'd killed the baby on purpose."

"What did he do about that?"

"He told me that we were trying again right there and tried to assault me. I fought him off before he knocked me unconscious with a book."

"So you had intercourse during a miscarriage. Unconsented intercourse."

"Yeah. I didn't get pregnant, that just made me feel worse. He kept assaulting me until I eventually did get pregnant."

"Did you ever tell anyone?"

"One day when he was at work, I packed my bags and ran away to Italy and told my father and my friend." Marinette said. "I stayed there while my father reported Nathaniel."

"How was he caught if you were somewhere else?"

"The same time that he was arrested, I found out that he was cheating on me with Chloe Bourgeois, who was Adrien Agreste's wife at the time."

"Was that damaging?"

"No. But when he was imprisoned, I was crying for what felt like an eternity from the past few months. I stopped taking care of myself and got sick. Lost the baby. And then my job."

"Did the assault make the news?"

"Yes. I was inactive on my main social media account because I didn't want to post and receive sympathy that unintentionally reminded me of what had just happened, so after I got back on my feet I started a new social media account where I just took pictures of anything I could. It was anonymous, my face was always covered, so no one could ever apologoize and accidentally remind me of him."

"Did you continue to strain your body or stop?"

"A mixture of both. I ate healthy, but there were days that I treated myself to a bag of chips or a candy bar or some cookies."

"Were you able to keep healthy?"

"Definitely."

"Okay. The next question is if you've found love again."

"Yes. But I wouldn't say that I found love again. Not true love at least. Meeting Adrien was me meeting true love but knocking on the doors of romance once again."

"Adrien as in Adrien Agreste? The CEO of Paws! Dog Training Haven? How did that happen?"

A picture of the two dogs, Tikki, Plagg, and their then newborn puppies appeared on the screen. The audience cooed.

"They started it."


	7. Chapter Six

~seven months later~

~September 8th, 2027~

"Open your eyes."

Marinette opened her eyes to a beautiful ocean. She was up on a balcony.

"Where are we?" She asked Adrien. ,

"Can you guess?"

Marinette pouted a little. Adrien smirked, leaned against a rail, and folded his arms expectantly.

"Hawaii."

"No."

"Where?!"

"Aruba."

"Aruba...I'd always wanted to go here. Why are we here?!"

"Today's a special day, Marinette. It's our first anniversary."

She gasped.

"Shit." She cursed quietly. "I...I didn't get you anything." She admitted. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Marinette. I don't need a present to know that you love me."

"I know, but...how do I repay you?!"

"You'll see...stay here, okay? I need to go get something."

Adrien went back into the hotel. He came out empty handed. She tilted her head a little.

"Marinette I...I love you. You're my soulmate. You're my best friend. My partner in legal crime. My everything. I am head over paws for you."

Marinette giggled. "Paws?"

"Well the dogs started this. Gotta mention them. Anyways...there's never gonna be enough time in one day to describe how much I love you, but to name a few reasons; you're beautiful. You're intelligent. You're funny. You have a big heart. You're confident. Strong. Fierce. I want to share the rest of my life with you, I really do. Just not like this."

"Not like this?"

A huge bubble of nervousness nested in her gut. Was he breaking up with her!? Sure, they'd argued before, but what had she done wrong?! Did he cheat?! Lose interest? Find someone else?!

"We've been dating for a year today, Mari. But it's time to move on."

She blinked away tears.

He took a step closer to her.

"It's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be really hard. We're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you. No matter what has happened. No matter what you've done. No matter what you will do. I will always love you. I swear it."

"You're sending me mixed messages—" she started. Adrien gently hushed her.

"So...Marinette René Dupain-Cheng...will you..."

Her hands flew to her mouth as she realized that neither of them had done anything wrong, that he wasn't breaking up with her, that he was asking her for something.

He got on one knee. "Will you make not just me, but the both of us, one of the happiest couples in the world and marry me?"

Tears spilt out of her eyes.

"Y-yes." She stammered, trying her best to sound okay and not cry. She wiped her eyes, but more tears made their way out. "Yes, Adrien. I'll marry you."

He found her ring finger and slid the ring onto it.

"It fits...why are you crying all of a sudden?" He asked, alarmed, pulling her close with a bittersweet smile and wiping her face.

"I thought you were breaking up with me!" She sobbed.

"Oh, Marinette...of course not. I'd never forgive myself if I did break up with you—no, let the thought cross my mind. I worded it a little wrong, didn't I?"

"Um...just the "it's time to move on" and "just not like this" lines scared me."

"I'm sorry. I can do it over if you really wanna. I spent hours researching."

"You're so sweet, you know that?" Marinette asked Adrien.

"Yep..."

"You don't have to do it over. The was amazing. How long did that take to practice?"

"Considering that I planned to propose to you when we started our relationship, a while."

"You knew you wanted me ever since..."

"The third date."

"My favorite one."

"Mine too. We're lucky. We get to repeat that night now, but anytime and with rings on our fingers."

"Yeah...you won't have to leave me as often as you do now."

"I won't."

Marinette examined the ring.

"How old is this?"

"The ring? How do you know I didn't buy it?"

Marinette took it off and showed him the tiny little engraving. Agreste.

"You're observant. It's almost a hundred years old."

"Wow!" Marinette exclaimed. "So a family heirloom?"

"Yes, one of them. It's Agreste tradition to make a wedding ring exactly like the previous set."

"Oh really? That'll be fun."

"Yeah. The specialty about Agreste rings is that they can be formed to be one ring in case one of the spouses passes away or leaves. Or leaves the ring with them."

"That's so...magnificent. I'll be sure to guard this with my life. But what happened if the ring was too big? Or too small? Or lost!?"

"Those have happened before. There's a jewel, a diamond, and silver that we found that we use."

"Oh my...your family is unique, mi uno caro."

Adrien smiled. "Soon it'll be yours too."

"Say...I know being here in Aruba is a good enough way to have a pre-marriage honeymoon, but you know wedding planning and the weddings are tired, so the wedding night never falls on the wedding day."

She finished her statement with a suggestive little look on her face.

Adrien couldn't help but blush a little.

"An engagement night." He said as they retreated into their room. "It won't have everything I wanted for it."

"I don't care. I don't need petals or music or candles. Just you. You're alright. We only need the two of us for this."

Adrien nodded in agreement. "We need the two of us for everything, now."

"Yep." Marinette agreed, before they got under the covers and didn't come out until the next morning.

~a few weeks later~

"Where's Marinette?" Emilie asked Adrien when she came over to their in-progress home.

"In our room sleeping." Adrien said.

"Okay, now I'm convinced that you're lying. You always say that she's sleeping."

"It's the truth!" Adrien exclaimed. "She is always sleeping or eating!"

"If it's the truth then show me."

Adrien huffed. He brought his mother to his and Marinette's room. Marinette was sprawled across the bed, sleeping.

"How long has she been hibernating?"

"Since we returned from Aruba."

"She isn't running a temperature?"

"No. Maybe the wedding planning is just tiring her. It hit her like a bag of bricks. That plus modeling. Which she's quit for now. She's She's fine."

He lied to his mother.

As soon as she left, Adrien woke Marinette up. She moaned, displeased.

"What?" She drawled out.

"I'm going to the store to grab something. Is there anything you want?"

Marinette gazed at her snack stash.

Baby food? Yes. Cheez its? Yes. Funyuns? Check. Takis? Check. Nutella? Check. Animal crackers? Check. Pop-Tarts? Check.

"Whipped cream, a slushie, and white chocolate candy bars."

Adrien frowned. Where did this sugar rush come from?!

"Okay...I love you. I'll be back in a little bit."

Adrien left the house and went to the convenience store. Thankfully, it was pretty empty.

He found the pregnancy tests and got two different types, Marinette's snacks, paid for them, and rushed home.

When he found her, she was sitting with her bowl of crackers, chips, and dip.

"Hey. I uh..."

He set the slushies, candy bars, and whipped cream on her nightstand.

"You've been sleeping and eating the past few weeks. I'm sure it isn't a stomach bug, so I got you these."

Marinette peeked in the bag.

"Tests." She muttered.

"Call me paranoid, but you've had an incredibly strong sweet tooth since we got back from Aruba. And considering what happened...well...this is a possibility."

Marinette sighed. "Can you put the whipped cream in the fridge?"

Adrien nodded. Marinette got out of bed, bid farewell to her sugars, and went to the kitchen. Leaning against a counter, she quickly tried to down the slushie. She regretted it when her head got cold.

"Slow down. Nobody's rushing you."

Marinette continued drinking it, but slower. She finished it in several minutes.

"I'm going back to sleep. I'll wake up when I gotta pee."

Adrien heard the bathroom door slam not long after she'd went back to bed. He waited a few minutes for her to come out.

And when she did, a big smile lit up the whole room.

~several months later~

"If there's anyone I have to thank for Adrien and I here today, now as husband and wife, it's our dogs. Plagg was definitely a little troublemaker and it always caused me problems, but that day he caused me to be the happiest girl in the world today. So Plagg, thank you."

Everyone laughed.

Plagg simply barked, proud of his work.


	8. Epilogue

~one month later~

~June 2028~

Marinette Agreste smiled at the little baby resting in her arms.

Her baby with Adrien. One that she was willing and excited to have.

"You never thought that you'd be here like this, did you?" Adrien asked Marinette softly, climbing into the bed with his ladies.

She shook her head. "I didn't. But I'm definitely happy to be here like this. You're quite the game changer, Agreste."

"Agreste yourself, _mi amor._ And don't look at me, look at them. After all, they started it."

Marinette gazed at the dogs. Tikki was laying down with her second litter of puppies, Plagg next to her.

"Hm. Looks like they started and didn't stop, either."

* * *

Hi guys!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It'll be the last you see of They Started It because it's finished, but on the other hand...

I'm taking a hiatus. Well, not really. 31DoWWF will keep going as usual and same for the oneshots book. But I'm often losing sleep to get chapters of Unstoppable done. Which isn't good because I have school (there, a hint about me! *0*) and need to not fall asleep when I'm working or at class. Until Unstoppable is done with its writing, I'm gonna stop updating that story. When the story is finished, it'll have a more frequent update schedule.

Am I leaving the site for a while? No. I'm just decreasing my activity a little bit. I hope you guys can understand this well.

I'm thinking that finishing the story first is a good idea before publishing it. As I finish a chapter, I'll give you a teaser of what's to come to spark your curiosity. Or, if it's a new book, give the prologue. Which is good because I've already started another book.

I know this isn't what real life authors may do, but writing fanfiction is a pastime that I take seriously, maybe too seriously. Fellow writers/artists, remember this:

Mental Health Fanfiction/Fanart/Comic Dubs, whatever you do.

-Thorne


End file.
